Jean-Claude Mas, PIP Founder, In Jail

Jean-Claude Mas, founder of the French company PIP, which produced substandard breast implants has been jailed for bail default.

After being taken for questioning in January, Mas was indicted for causing bodily harm over the implant scandal, which has affected hundreds of thousands of women.

The magistrate required the payment of a 100,000 euros bail, banned him to leave the country and forbade the production of health products.

PIP illegally used a home-made silicone gel in most of its breast implants. Due to their risks of breakage and irritations, the French government had recommended, in December, that 30,000 women in France bearing the implants should get them surgically removed.

The founder of PIP, whose company has been bankrupt since 2010, admitted he produced non-ratified silicone gel, but denied any danger related to it.

400,000 to 500,000 women around the world are thought to have PIP implants. The production was based in France, but 84% of the implants were exported mainly to Latin America, Spain and the UK.